I read and article today, as an assignment, and I didn't think I would like it as much as I did, it is called "Mapping a Route Towards Differentiated
Instruction", and it put a random thought into my head...
It
is true, there does indeed seem to be various roads of differentiation, and it can take some “rest stops” to get there, and there may even be forks in the
road. However, to get to our differentiated destination, we as teachers must
persevere and we must go and do, we can’t just stop. We must drive on, but that
might be hard. Think of it like a road trip, you think of where you want to go
(curriculum), and you have to have a way to get there (instruction). Even if
you have an idea of where you are going, you will never get there without good
passengers. You do not want to be stuck in a car with people who don’t have much
understanding and engagement. As in, you want your students to understand what
they are doing, where they are going, and what they have learned, and you want
them to enjoy it. Don’t just drive from point A to point B, let your passengers
stop and see what is around them. Do more than just use the text! Do things
your students will actually enjoy and engage in.Together.
You can find the article here! http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el199909_tomlinson.pdf
You mentioned needing “rest stops” to get there, the possibility of forks in the road. I can assure you that this will just about always be the case! The thing that a good understanding of differentiation does is give you tools so that the rest stops don't side-track you completely, or take you OFF COURSE overall. Differentiation will also help you know how not to waste the time of the passengers who DON'T need the rest stop while everyone waits for those who DO. Differentiation will also mean that when you come to forks in the road, you understand when it is okay to let some passengers take one route, and other take the other one/s -- because you know that all forks lead to the same destination... unless they DON'T -- which a differentiating teacher has taken the time to find out! We'll really get into this in class, soon! 5 pts.
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